'Definitely nerve-wracking': Out-of-control wildfire puts Saprae Creek on temporary evacuation alert
An out-of-control wildfire on the weekend put people living in the hamlet of Saprae Creek, about 25 kilometres southeast of Fort McMurray, on evacuation alert temporarily.
"Your heart kind of sinks and you get really nervous especially if you were here in 2016, which we were, we were in this house, same place," said Trish Trefry, who lives in the hamlet.
Trefry said the fire is four to five kilometres away from her home.
"We bought out in the woods to have the woods, now they're pretty much all gone. There's been a lot of re-growth but there's a lot of stuff to still burn out there, obviously, since it's so close," she said.
The alert was first issued on Sunday afternoon, and by evening, the fire was reported as being 30 hectares in size on the Alberta Wildfire dashboard.
"It was definitely nerve-wracking, but you just get some stuff together and just get ready to go," said Trefry.
"Everybody put a little bag together. Tanks are full of fuel and ready to go if we need to," she added.
As of Monday, the wildfire known as MWF-012 was reported to be 67 hectares in size.
The evacuation alert was cancelled later Monday and the blaze was reclassified as being held.
According to the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo (RMWB), there were four firefighting crews, six helicopters, two airtanker groups and five heavy equipment groups battling the fire.
During an interview with CTV News Edmonton from Trefry's home, there was no sign of the wildfire raging nearby.
"The day of evacuation in 2016, it was exactly the same," she said. "You couldn't see a thing in the horizon, and then all of a sudden, the wind changed direction, something happened and it was black."
In a video posted to social media, RMWB Mayor Sandy Bowman addressed residents under the evacuation alert.
"We know from our experience that this can be very stressful," he said. "We are here to support you, to protect the community and do everything we can to be there for you."
"There's a really great response and they've been hitting it hard," said Trefry of the firefighting efforts.
"I'm confident that they'll get it under control, but obviously, there's always that nagging feeling in the back because I thought that too in 2016," she added.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canadian gov't proposes new foreign influence registry as part of wide-spanning new bill
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government is proposing a suite of new measures and law changes aimed at countering foreign interference in Canada, amid extensive scrutiny over past meddling attempts and an ever-evolving threat landscape.
Boeing Starliner capsule's first crewed test flight postponed
The long-awaited first crewed test flight of Boeing's new Starliner space capsule was called off for at least 24 hours over a technical issue that launch teams were unable to resolve in time for the planned Monday night lift-off.
Teacher charged in historical sexual assault of Calgary teenage girl
Calgary police have charged a teacher with the alleged sexual assault of a teenage girl more than 20 years ago.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Man banned from owning animals after fatal Calgary dog attack
The owner of three Calgary dogs that got loose and mauled a woman to death in 2022 has been ordered to pay a $15,000 fine within one year and banned from owning any animal for 15 years.
East-end Ottawa family dealing with massive rat infestation
Residents in Ottawa’s Elmridge Gardens complex are dealing with a rat infestation that just won’t go away. Now, after doing everything they can to try to fix the issue, they are pleading with the city to step in and help.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Newfoundland and Labrador latest province to tighten rules on Airbnbs
Newfoundland and Labrador is the latest jurisdiction to bring in stricter rules for short-term rentals, with a coming set of regulations that will force operators to register with the provincial government.